May 22, 2013 — Voters in the North Country sent a clear message to school districts that tried to exceed the state property tax cap. The answer was a resounding No.

The vast majority of the region's budgets came in under the cap and passed handily.

But four of the region's school systems -- in General Brown, Minerva, Newcomb and Tupper Lake -- asked voters to go beyond the roughly 4-5% hike allowed by state rules.  Go to full article

May 03, 2013 — An audit by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says St. Lawrence County is "walking a financial tightrope". The audit found the county's fund balance decreased 68 percent from 2007 to 2011. Legislators used surplus funds to close budget gaps and keep property tax increases last year to an already-high 14 percent.  Go to full article

Apr 26, 2013 — North Country congressman Bill Owens says he's returning roughly $75,000 of his congressional office budget to the US treasury.

Owens has made the gesture toward austerity four years in a row -- with the amount left unspent by his office now totaling around $400,000.  Go to full article

Fort Drum, NY, Apr 16, 2013 — The North Country Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) held its most recent meeting at Fort Drum last week. The idea was to give members from the region's seven counties greater insight into how the Army post interacts with the local economy. The council also took steps to implement a new program for water and sewer project infrastructure.  Go to full article

Apr 11, 2013 — Many North Country school districts are facing uncharted territory. They're going bankrupt, and at the same time have more mandates to fulfill.

The annual North Country Symposium is focused on the state of education, and how it's affecting the rest of the community. Keynote speaker John Sipple is director of the New York Center for Rural Schools at Cornell University.

He says there are no easy answers, and that the schools are inextricably intertwined with the community - they rise and fall together.  Go to full article

Apr 08, 2013 — Governor Cuomo is on a statewide tour to promote the newly-passed state budget, saying it shows that New York is functional again. But in the wake of two recent corruption and bribery arrests of state legislators, not everyone is completely convinced.  Go to full article

Apr 08, 2013 — In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, crossing the border with Canada has become a much more difficult experience. Congressman Bill Owens hosted a group of security officials and business leaders at Clarkson University on Friday, April 5, to talk about how to move people and goods over the border securely, and create jobs.  Go to full article

Apr 04, 2013 — Governor Andrew Cuomo says his relationship with Syracuse's mayor is just fine. But two haven't talked in several months.

Last year Cuomo picked Mayor Stephanie Miner to co-chair the state's Democratic Party. But asked Tuesday about Miner's increasingly vocal criticism of his plan for aid to upstate cities and pension reform, Cuomo didn't treat her like much of a friend. He told reporters, "I haven't seen this particular mayor's comments."  Go to full article

Apr 02, 2013 — Many school districts in the North Country face cutting staff and programming in order to trim their budgets and stay under the state's property tax cap. Some are showing signs of serious financial stress.

Just last month, Tupper Lake School District leaders said the district could become insolvent and may have to close its doors in a few years unless it gets more state aid.

Neighboring Saranac Lake Central is struggling to find a way to preserve its core programs while closing a more than $1 million budget gap.

The district recently hired a new superintendent, Diane Fox, who said working within its budget constraints will be her biggest challenge.  Go to full article

Apr 01, 2013 — The state Olympic Regional Development Authority is fighting deep financial woes even as its venues rebound. That's according to a financial report released this week by the state Comptroller's Office.

Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced Wednesday that he will launch a full financial audit of ORDA after his office discovered operational losses and a reliance on private lenders to meet expenses.  Go to full article